April 2017

As part of UofT’s Boundless campaign, recent video footage was shot to showcase 3D technology used by NMC’s CRANE Project. Filming was done by Brought To You By, a local production company, to highlight the work conducted by CRANE to emphasize the University of Toronto’s global impact. Digital work being produced by Stephen Batiuk (CRANE Project Manager) will be included, as well as Giles Morrow (Archaeology Centre) demonstrating the photogrammetry equipment at the Archaeology Centre to photograph artifacts from NMC’s Archaeology Lab supplied by Stanley Klassen (Collections Manager). The final presentation will promote some of the exceptional work being produced at the University of Toronto and will be seen by diverse national and international audiences.

On Saturday April 1st, 2017, The Spirit Singers performed alongside community choir Common Thread for “Would You Harbour Me?” a concert in support of a UofT initiative that works with young Syrian refugees in Toronto.

The event was well attended and a great success, with over $3,000 in donations, which will be allocated towards weekly educational workshops that teach newcomers English, as well as cultural exchange events and field trips in the GTA.

NMC-CESI was also recently nominated, for Student Life’s ‘Outstanding Initiative’ and ‘Program of the Year Award’, and received an honorable mention.

Following a successful application to the international T-AP Digging Into Data Challenge, a SSHRC-funded team of Assyriologists led by Heather D. Baker from the University of Toronto’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations will be joining with partners from the University of Frankfurt and the University of California, Los Angeles to develop new tools for the automated translation and analysis of cuneiform texts. Émilie Pagé–Perron, PhD candidate at NMC and a co-PI of the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), will coordinate the research group’s efforts. The project is one of 14 chosen to address big data questions in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The team is led by: Heather D. Baker(PI), University of Toronto, Christian Chiarcos (Co-PI), University of Frankfurt, Robert K. Englund (Co-PI), University of California, Los Angeles, and Émilie Pagé–Perron (Coordinator), University of Toronto.

When Queen Mullissu-mukannishat-Ninua passed away and was buried in her tomb, she left a curse to those who would dare disturb her final resting place. Despite her warning, late 1980s excavations in the Northwest palace of King Assurnasirpal II at Nimrud conducted by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities revealed the existence of her burial, and those of a number of other Neo-Assyrian queens.

Maria Brosius has been appointed ‘Getty Residential Scholar‘ for 2017/18 at the Getty Villa, Los Angeles, for her research project, “The Persian Empires – Multilingual and Centres for the Transmission of Knowledge.” Congratulations Prof. Brosius on all your success!